Pattern selecting mechanism



PATTERN SELECTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 3, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jaffa/726195- April 17, 1934. G. H. wHrrE 1,955,446

PATTERN SELECTING MECHANISH Filed Jan. 3, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 17, 1934. G. H. WHITE PATTERN SELECTING MECHANISM Filed Jan. 3, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 NlTED STATE OFFICE PATTERN SELECTING MECHANISM Application January 3, 1933, Serial No. 649,801

18 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in pattern selecting mechanism and is especially adapted for use in connection with type casting and type setting machines wherein it is desired to adjust or position a series of lines of characters either in the form of a matrix or printing strip with the characters thereon or in the form oi assemblies of matrices or type characters in line in response to some other selecting mechanism. Among the objects or" my invention are to provide a driving and releasing mechanism so that the separate strips or lines of characters may be propelled forward into the working position, released when they reach that position, may again be picked up and returned for distribution. An-

other object is to provide in combination with a longitudinally movable strip, a yieldingly releasable drive head. Another object is to provide a flexible connection for the drive head between it and each strip so that strips may be compressed or released and so slightly moved or displaced laterally without interfering with the driving relation. Other objects of the invention will appear from time to time throughout the specification and claims.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a detail side elevation showing part of the machine with which it is to be used;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the machine with parts in elevation;

Figure 3 is a similar section showing the parts in a slightly different relative position;

Figure Il is a plan view;

Figure 5 is a detail in part section of the drive head;

Figure 6 is a section along the line 6 6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a detail of the spring supported hook;

Figure 8 is an enlarged section along the line 8 8 of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is an enlarged section along the line 9-9 of Figure 2.

Like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the specication and claims.

It will be understood that the invention here in question is only one of a series of cooperating elements are united and cooperating to provide an operating device and I have illustrated only so much of the operating device to properly understand the relation or" the invention here in question with the whole machine.

A is the main frame; A1 an upright frame member projecting therefrom. A2 is a pattern selecting frame and A3 is a typewriter supported thereon. The only part of the pattern selecting mechanism with which we are here concerned is the pattern bed A4 and the so-called matrix bed 6 Pins A6 in the pattern bed are adapted to be longitudinally displaced in a direction transverse to the bed by means not here shown controlled and operated by the typewriter A3. This pattern bed comprises a plurality of parallel intersecting strips A7 A8 which form rectangular cells, each cell containing a spring member A9 so that each pattern pin A6 is guided in its longitudinal motion and held in proper position by spring friction. The strips A8 project below the honeycomb of the bed to provide a plurality of parallel guide channels whose importance will hereniafter appear.

The matrix bed A5 is a flat smooth plate. On it are mounted for longitudinal movement a plurality of matrix strips B. As indicated, these strips carry preferably at the points B1 in intaglio, characters from which type is to be cast but the reverse might be the case and printing characters themselves might be disposed on the faces of the strip or separate type `slugs or separate intaglio strips might be substituted for the strip as the case may be without departing from the spirit of my invention. Each of these strips B terminates in a relatively thin liexible strip B2 narrower than the strip, the strip being recessed at B3 so that the overall width of the strip and spring is only the width of the strip. This spring is a little shallower than the strip so that it does lnot rest upon the matrix bed. At the forward end of the spring strip is mounted a guide plate B4 spaced from the spring plate so that the overall width of guide plate and spring is substantially equal to the overall width of the strip. This guide member projects upwardly beyond the strip as indicated at B5 to form a guide section which travels between each pair of strips A8 and guides the flexibly mounted drive head in its movement along the pattern bed. The pattern bed may under some circumstances have an up and down movement, the width of these strips being so related to the guide strip so that no matter what the position of the pattern bed, the guide member is always held between the two strips A8. The guide plate B4 is cut away longitudinally as indicated to form a hook pocket B6 where it is adapted to en gage a stop pin A6. The guide plate B4 and the spring are held together by rivets B'I B6, and spot welding.

Cil

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C is a latch. It has at its rear or in-most end, a notch C1 having a cylindrical bottom. It has on its underside two shoulders C2 C3 and a curved spring seat C4. C5 is a spring of such length that it fits snugly between the shoulders C2 C3 when it is straight and so related that it may be bent to conform to the seat C4, the spring being held in place because the thickness of the spring and the latch produces a snug working fit in the pocket BG. C6 is a stop surface on the opposed side of the latch adapted to engage the upper side of the pocket. CI is a hook on the end of the latch. It has an inclined surface C8, an inclined surface C9, an inclined surface C10.

The latch cooperates with a drive bar D which bar is mounted on a sliding carriage means` D1 on opposed sides of the machine which sliding carriage means are adapted to be moved back and forth by links D2 on levers D3 driven by a crank arm D4 to cause a back and forth reciprocation of the bar D. This bar D has on its under surface a notch D5 slightly inclined across the body of the machine. This notch has an inclined surface D6 adapted to cooperate with the inclined surface C9 on the latch; and inclined surface D'7 adapted to cooperate with the surface C8 on the latch and so positioned that when the bar D is in engagement with the guide plate B4, there is clearance between the surfaces D7 and C10. The latch is held in place by engagement between the notch C1 and the rivet 1B8 and by engagement between the spring C5 and the rivet B7, the spring being slightly fiexed normally tends to hold the latch in the position shown in Figure 5. Figure 2 shows the position of the parts when the bar D is going down, drawing the matrix strips after it. It is shown when the guide member has just engaged the stop A6. Further movement of the bar D causes the latch to assume the dotted line position because the two inclined surfaces result in a camming action compressing the spring. On the return motion, the member D will be moved backward until the surface DI will have a camming engagement with the surface C8, depress the latch and snap back into position going on to the return driving position shown in Figure 3.

The notch D5 is diagonal so that even if the same character on each matrix were to be released, still the release would be progressive and thus not overload the mechanism.

The latch is assembled by rst putting the spring C5 in the position shown in Figure '7. Then inserting the spring and latch through the front of the pocket C5, compressing the spring into the dotted line position shown in Figure 5, pushing it beneath the rivet B8 and then allowing the spring to force it up into engagement. Its disassembly is the reverse of this. Thus the spring C5 serves both as the release spring for the latch and as a retaining spring to hold the parts in proper working relation.

I claim:

l. A propeller mechanism for reciprocating members of a character selecting mechanism and the like comprising a longitudinally movable member, a flat spring mounted on the end thereof, a combined latch and guide head mounted on the spring.

2. A propeller mechanism for reciprocating members of a character selecting mechanism and the like comprising a longitudinally movable member, a fla-t spring mounted on the end thereof, a combined latch and guide head mounted on the spring, there being a pocket in said head and a spring held latch contained within said pocket.

3. A propeller mechanism for reciprocating members of a character selecting mechanism and the like comprising a longitudinally movable member, a fiat spring mounted on the end thereof, a combined latch and guide head mounted on the spring, there being a pocket in said head and a spring held latch contained within said pocket, there being a pair of cross members in the pocket, the latch being notched to engage one of said cross members, a spring interposed between the latch and the other cross member whereby the notch on the latch is held in engagement with the cross member.

4. A propeller mechanism for reciprocating members of a character selecting mechanism and the like comprising a longitudinally movable member, a flat spring mounted on the end thereof, a combined latch and guide head mounted on the spring, there being a pocket in said head and a spring held latch contained within said pocket, there being a pair of cross members in the pocket, the latch being notched to engage one of said cross members, a spring interposed between the latch and the other cross member whereby the notch on the latch is held in engagement with the cross member, the spring vbeing adapted to yield to permit releasing of the latch in a direction generally transverse to the line of travel of the head.

5. In a selecting mechanism, a supporting bed having a relatively smooth surface, a plurality of elements adapted to move therealong, guide fins projecting upwardly from said elements, flexible connections between each element and its guide n and a track constraining each guide iin to parallel movement.

6. In a selecting mechanism, a supporting bed having a relatively smooth surface, a plurality of elements adapted to move therealong, guide fins projecting upwardly from said elements, flexible connections between each element and its guide fin and a track constraining each guide iin to parallel movement, a stop member located within said track adapted to engage and stop the movement of the guide fin.

7. In combiantion, a relatively elongated flat strip recessed at one end, a thin spring mounted in said recess and rigidly attached to the strip, 7

the overall thickness of spring and strip being substantially equal to the normal thickness of the strip, a guide and latch head including the free end of the spring and a separate plate attached thereto, which plate has a guide n extending upwardly above the strip.

8. In combination, a relatively elongated fiat strip recessed at one end, a thin spring mounted in said recess and rigidly attached to the strip,

the overall thickness of spring and strip being substantially equal to the normal thickness of the strip, a guide and latch head including the free end of the spring and a separate plate attached thereto, which plate has a guide nn extending upwardly above the strip, there being a pocket formed between the spring and plate, a yieldably releasable latch contained within said pocket.

9. A spring release latch comprising a pocket, a plurality of cross members extending therethrough, a latch in the pocket interposed between the cross members, the latch being notched adjacent one end to engage one of them, the opposed edge of the latch being curved to provide a spring clearance, a straight spring adapted normally to engage the latch adjacent each end CII only, the spring being held in register with the latch by its position in the pocket againstl the cross member adapted to engage the spring and exert an initial tension upon it.

10. A spring release latch comprising a pocket, a plurality of cross members extending therethrough, a latch in the pocket interposed between the cross members, the latch being notched adjacent one end to engage one of them, the opposed edge oi the latch being curved to provide spring clearance, a straight spring adapted normally to engage the latch adjacent each end only, the spring being held in register with the latch by its position in the pocket against the cross member adapted to engage the spring and exert an initial tension upon it, the latch proiecting beyond the pocket in the icrm or" a 'nook having interior and exterior inclined surfaces.

ll. A spring release latch comprising a pocket, a plurality of cross members extending therethrough, a latch in the pocket interposed between the cross members, the latch being notched adjacent one end to engage one ci them, the opposed edge of the latch being curved provide spring clearance, a straight spring adapted normally to engage the latch adjacent each end only, the spring being held in register with the latch by its position in the pocket against tie `cross member adapted to engage the spring and exert an initial tension upon it, the latch projecting beyond the pocket in the form oi a hook having interior and exterior inclined srriaces, drive member cooperating with the hook having along its edge a cam surface adapted to engage the latch and immediately behind its edge a notch adapted to be engaged by the latch.

l2. Aspring release latch com,--sing a pocket, a plurality of cross members extending therethrough, a latch in the pocket interposed between the cross members, the latch being notched adjacent one end to engage one oi them, the opposed edge of the latch being curved to form a spring clearance, a straight spring adapted normally to engage the latch adjacent each end only,

the spring being held register with the latch by its position in the pocket against the cross member adapted to engage the spring and exert an initial tension upon it, the latch projecting beyond the pocket in the i rn of a hook having interior and exterior inclined surfaces, a drive member cooperating with the hook having along its edge a cam surface adapted to engage the latch and immediately behind its edge a notch adapted to be engaged by the latch, the surfaces of the latch and drive member being inclined whereby when a predetermined pressure has been reached, the spring is compressed for release.

13. In combination a movable strip, a spring attached to one end and in prolongation thereof, a guide plate on the free end oi the spring projecting above the strip, a pocket interposed between the guide plate and the spring, a latch contained within the pocket and yielding means having the dual function of holding the latch in assembled position and yieldingly resisting disengagement oi the latch.

14. In combination, a longitudinally movable strip, a flexible member attached to one end of and in prolongation thereof, a guide member carried by the flexible member, a yieldable latch mounted on the guide member, a propeller bar adapted to be yieldably engaged by the latch, a relatively fixed track along which the guide member travels and means associated with said track adapted to be thrust into the path of the guide member to positively arrest its progress and cause the latch to be released to separate it from the drive bar.

15. A supporting platform having opposed parallel side walls, a plurality of elongated longitudinally reciprocable members loosely supported by the platform and enclosed by the side Walls, a drive member extending across the platform and mounted for movement parallel with the reciprocable members, a yieldably releasable driving hook adapted to engage said drive memthere being o -e hook associated with each longitudinally reciprocable member and a flexible connection between each such hook and its associated member.

16, A supporting platform having opposed parallel side walls, a plurality of elongated longitudinally reciprocable members loosely supported by the platform and enclosed by the side walls, a drive member extending across the platform and mounted for movement parallel with the reoiprocable members, a yieldably releasable driving hoo-l: adapted to engage said drive member, there being one hoek associated with each longitudinally reciprocable member and a flexible connection between each such hook and its associated member, the driving member being flanged to engage said hooks, the ilange being located in all positions of the driving member in a plane parallel with the supporting platform and being inclined in said plane to the longitudinal axes or the reciprocable members.

1'?. A supporting platform having opposed parallel side walls, a plurality of elongated longitudinally reciprocable members loosely supported by the platform and enclosed by the side walls, a drive member extending across the platform and mounted for movement parallel with the reciprocable members, a yieldably releasable driving hook adapted to engage said drive member, there being one hook associated with each longitudinally reciprocable member and a flexible connection between each such hook and its associated member, there being an abutment on the drive member and means associated with each reciprocable member and projecting away from the supporting platform further than such member adapted to be engaged by said abutment when the drive member is moved toward the reciprocable members.

i8. A supporting platform having opposed parallel side walls, a plurality of elongated longitudinally reciprocable members loosely supported bf the platform and enclosed by the side walls, a drive member extending across the platform and mounted for movement parallel with the reciprocable members, a yieldably releasable drivhook adapted to engage said drive member, there being one hook associated with each longitudinally reciprocable member and a flexible connection between each such hook and its associated member, the driving member being flanged to engage said hooks, the flange being located in all positions of the driving member in a plane parallel 'with the supporting platform and being inclined in said plane to the longitudinal axes of the reciprocable members, there being an abutment on the drive member and means associated with each reciprocable member and projecting away from the supporting platform further than such member adapted to be engaged by said abutment when the drive member is moved toward the reciprocable members,

GEORGE HERBERT WHITE. 

